Hannah Morrison

The Sounds of Simplicity

The sounds of simplicity.

I have been on a journey to simplifying over the last few years. Not only my physical schedule, though that has changed drastically, but also my mind and in my spirit. I got to the point a couple summers ago that everything just needed to stop. My adrenals were shot, my body was failing me. I wasn’t me anymore, because at all hours of the day worry swirled through every fiber of my being. I drove across the metroplex on a daily basis, and my lowest points were being stuck on the Dallas North Tollway at 4:30 PM trying to get back home on time to then make it to whatever evening commitments I had.

Life was a constant leg bounce. Know what I mean? When somebody is on edge and their leg is obnoxiously bouncing mindlessly under the table. That was me… always. I finally said “enough.” I quit my job in the city. I quit anything toxic that was filling me up, including friendships and ways of thinking. I quit trying to keep up with things that weren’t even who I was, but I felt I had to be. I quit trying to be like the other thousands of bloggers in Dallas, TX, and I pursued my own niche. We quit cable, and I quit watching the news every morning.

It was so freaking freeing. I don’t know how else to say it. *insert shoulder shrug here* It has been three years this week since that journey started, and dang it’s still an uphill battle. I mean, yesterday I had my first day to rest after what was arguably the craziest two weeks of Paul’s and my marriage, and I chose to lay mulch in the front flower beds rather than sitting. I don’t always nail rest, and I am always trying to figure out how to simplify, but gosh am I miles ahead of where I was.

Like I said, this past month truly has been the craziest month of my life quite possibly. I had to pep talk myself for the month of June as it inched closer in the final days of May. I pumped myself up the first week as we prepared Paul to leave for Africa, and I told myself I was going to be fine. The dialogue in my head was a little something like, “Oh my gosh, there’s no way I can do this… Hannah shut up. You can do this. Stop telling yourself anything else. You’ll make it. Oh my gosh I am never going to make it.” … back and forth, back and forth.

Know what’s funny, though? Despite this chaos of June- and believe me it was chaotic- I have never felt more alive in simplicity than I have in the last few weeks. I know, I know. It’s crazy. It doesn’t mean things weren’t challenging, I had a meltdown or two, but the purest forms of simplicity were put in front of me like a refreshing leap into a pool after a hot and sweaty run in the heat. Or like a PB&J at the waterpark with Cheetos. If you know, you know. You know- simply happy.

I got to spend 10 days back in my hometown while Paul was in Africa, and being home always yanks the realest self out of me. It reminds me who I am. It takes me back to a 16 year old self that exists inside of me who loved to dance around her room with her best friend to Taylor Swift and take night drives to the grocery store to pick up pints of Ben & Jerry’s. I spent my 26th birthday with my grandparents, daddy, and best friend with dinner at home telling stories until 10 PM at the table. Ah the sounds of simplicity.

Know what else is the sound of simplicity? Children in a remote African village who love every ounce of life, and don’t have but a care in the world as they sing songs in their sweet, high voices and dance. They love life, love Jesus, and love each other. Pretty simple. Pretty wonderful. I want that love for life. I envy their approach to simplicity.

The sound of simplicity is rain on the windows while the coffee maker drips a fresh brew into the coffee pot at your best friend’s house in the country. Looking out the window to see squash growing up the fence and chickens clucking around.

Simplicity.

The sound of simplicity is silence. No TV, no emails dinging in.

The sound of simplicity is the turning of a page in a book you’ve been wanting to read, but just haven’t had the time to. Simple.

The sound of simplicity is falling asleep in your damp swim suit after a long day in the water while the fan clicks above you.

The sound of simplicity is a crappy cup of coffee at camp on the lake shore as the water hits the dock.

The sound of simplicity is 150 students singing the same worship song for 10 minutes in total surrender.

I was driving out to camp a couple mornings ago, a 35 minute trek I did every morning this last week, because Knox just couldn’t handle staying there and being out of his nightly and morning routine another week after 10 days away from home just the week before. (Simple doesn’t always mean easy… haha. You have to fight for simple.) But as I drove through the winding back roads to camp, I rolled the windows down and I actually felt a bubbling giddiness inside me. I thought to myself, “God, why am I so happy right now? I should be exhausted. I should be stressed out”…. But I thought to myself, “This is the good stuff. I could live like this for the rest of my life.”

When I allow simplicity into my life, I allow my truest self to come out. The Hannah who loves to free fall off the high platform at camp and slide down the waterslide. The Hannah who loves to sit and chat about life with her best friends for hours without much of a plan other than being together. The Hannah who would give anything to walk into a restaurant more often with family and see at least 10 people she knows. The Hannah who lays on the floor of her son’s room for two hours while he belly laughs and discovers crawling.

Simplicity is my site breaking for four days and not having a panic attack about it.

Simplicity is going to see The Incredibles with my husband and ordering chocolate chip cookies, because I can.

The sounds of simplicity. What are they for you? I hope whatever they are for you, you get a whole lot more of it. I hope you figure out a way to cut out noise, and get more sounds of simplicity into your life. There is nothing like the sound of simplicity.

Purpose In YOUR Ministry

Today’s blog post is actually this past week’s Sweet Thoughts devotional that I send out weekly to my VIP email subscribers. There was such an outpouring over this devo, people sharing their stories with me or simply a reply saying they connected deeply with this one, that I thought it needed to be shared with everyone.

If you aren’t signed up for my weekly devotionals, you can here. I don’t spam you. Scouts honor. This is a way for us to connect twice weekly: my devotional on Tuesdays at 6 AM + my Friday round-up. By being on this list, you get first notice for new products in The Cake Shop, and sometimes I even send out special discount codes just for YOU guys that nobody else gets. I get a bit more personal in my Sweet Thoughts, because this is where we take our Cake Community relationship to the next level.

xoxo, Han

Today’s Scripture: Luke 10:2

You have significance. You have purpose. You have influence. You get to be the hands and feet of Jesus. You have a ministry. Yes, you. You have a ministry.

Today’s devotional may as well be titled “Hannah’s thoughts after Chapter 10 of her book, Uninvited.” Y’all, if you listen to anything I say in this whole email, please let it be to go buy Uninvited to read. Every woman should read this book. It’s scarily like reading my own diary… I mean seriously. And, I think you just might connect at that level with it, too, because I believe at our core we are all so similar. Us women, though unique and made so differently, I can guarantee there are times in your life you can recall feeling rejected or insecure. Am I right? Does that rejection still follow you around from time to time? I once heard my pastor say in a sermon that we often live with a 13 year old view of ourselves still. That statement blew my mind, because it was so true for me. Our insecurities and our fears, so much of it can likely be pinpointed to somewhere around 13 years old. Living with a 13 year old view of myself is why I can often function out of a fear of rejection as Hannah the 25 year old. It’s why I can see myself as not quite good enough or cool enough. It’s why I have a tendency to sink back to the corner in a room of women, and it’s why “mediocre” is a lie I have to battle way more than I would like to admit.

So what’s this have to do with the verse for today? There is room for you. In fact, there is need for you.

“What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the
God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.”

There is plenty of space at the table, and no ministry is too small. Whether you have thousands of followers on Instagram or your ministry as a stay at home mom is your children, you are significant and you’re playing a role in the harvest. The work of your hands and your words matter. Sometimes I can look around and compare what I am doing to others, and feel immediately insignificant. “Oh, she’s famous. She has a much larger platform than I will ever have. She has it covered.” FALSE. This scripture in Luke shows us that the harvest is in surplus. It’s so big that we actually don’t have enough hands willing to work to get it all done, and we are called to pray for more. Your ministry matters. Your influence matters. No task, no work, no effort for the kingdom is too small. Your life matters and it has purpose. The author of Uninvited, Lysa TerKeurst, encourages us to live with an abundance mindset. Meaning we ought to live in a mindset that says there’s plenty of space for all of us to succeed. There’s plenty of space for all of us to do whatever it is that YOU do. Yet, we so often live in a scarcity mindset. Because of insecurity, we fear there isn’t enough space for all of us to succeed, and therefore it’s hard to cheer on others who seems to be doing better at what we so desire to do. In the same manner, when we live in a scarcity mindset we can discount ourselves and cheapen our worth. When we live in scarcity, we believe someone is taking our place in the race and therefore we lack worth. Comparison, my friends, will destroy you. Battle the urge to compare your influence to one another’s. Your story matters, and it can glorify Jesus in ways that so-and-so’s can’t. Not because yours or hers is better, but because you were given your exact journey to glorify the name of Jesus in ways someone else’s just can’t.

The harvest is many. There are so many lost who need to hear your story. They need to hear what Jesus has done in your life that delivered you from rejection to acceptance. From living in scarcity to thriving in abundance. It’s by your story that the harvest hands grow in number. Your story has power through the work Jesus did in you and for you.

Live in abundance. Live knowing you have purpose. Live knowing you have influence. Never shy away from the opportunity you’ve been given to be the hands of the harvest.

10 Scripture To Help With Anxiety

If you are a human in the world today with breath, you have felt anxiety -I am going to bet on it- at some point. Whether it’s temporary anxiety over a circumstance or long endured, anxiety is unfortunately increasingly more present and a battle for so many. I always try to be as transparent as possible here. I mean, at the end of the day, I choose to put my life on display through The Cake as a way to use what I am going through to encourage others they’re not alone. Which, funnily enough, can be anxiety-inducing at times. I have shared my journey with anxiety before, and so many of us have found unity and community in being honest about it together. Mine was a hard season, long months of battling thoughts and pressures I had never faced before. I was frustrated I was struggling with anxiety and dreaded night time, because I knew I wouldn’t sleep.

Anxiety sucks.

But, praise God, he made a way before time for anxiety. He freed me on the cross from my anxiety. He freed you from yours. Scripture is God-breathed. It stands firm, it is true. When we have scripture written on our hearts, it’s our way to combat the enemy. It’s like being armed when an intruder is breaking in and saying, “Nice try, but I will beat the mess out of you if you take another step into my home.”

A few nights ago Paul and I were dead asleep when our house alarm system started to go off. We just recently installed it after a weird Amazon Delivery experience that scared me, and I turned into Jackie Chan in .02 seconds. I jumped out of bed and ran for the nursery. As I scaled the bed and leapt for the door, I realized I wasn’t equipped to take on an intruder if in fact there was one, but at that point I had committed and I was ready to kill anybody that might hurt my baby.

Turns out our electricity went out due to high winds during a thunderstorm, which caused our alarm to go off when it came back on. Thank goodness there wasn’t an actual burglar. But, Paul says that night he was both proud of me and completely terrified of me. I am serious, I was so ready to destroy… except I wasn’t equipped. I would have given my best efforts against the enemy, all 5’1 and 110 pounds, but let’s be real. I probably wouldn’t have actually been able to win without proper aid or weapons.

Just the same, when we don’t have scripture within us to combat the enemy’s lies, we aren’t equipped to beat his sneaky and destructive ways. Eventually, the lies will sink into our core and we will start to believe the whispers he so slyly says to us in our ear. Anxiety bubbles up when we turn from the Lord and begin chasing after lies, trying to live up to things we will never live up to or be in charge of things we were never meant to take the reins on. Anxiety is the outcome of us believing lies. Somewhere at your core, a truth has been replaced with a lie. But you are a conquerer, and you are equipped to take on the battle. Here are 10 different scriptures I remind myself of when truth escapes me and panic ensues.

Consider these my fist, my sword, my armor.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life.” Matthew 6: 25-27

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Proverbs 12:25

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1

Read these over and over. Write them on your heart. Don’t go into battle without being armed. And, next to scripture and a relationship with God, don’t do life alone. Be in community. Be known.

xoxo, Han

Georgia Recap Video

Paul and I just got back from Newnan, Georgia where we had the amazing opportunity to be part of Crossroads Fusion student conference. (I have never eaten so much Chick Fil A in a 3 day time span) Paul was the headline speaker for Friday and Saturday night, we both did a Q&A panel, and did I mention Brett Younker of Passion led worship Saturday night? It was seriously such an amazing experience. Knox traveled amazingly, and I will be sharing a full post on what I did to make it a seamless first trip with our 3 month old (and more on our gorgeous Air Bnb!!).

For now, enjoy this recap video. Song: Glorious Day by Passion

Be Known, Be Loved

For about a month now, I have felt so strongly people need to hear how important it is to be known.

Perhaps it comes from being in true community for the first time in a long time, and I realize now how lonesome I really was for the season of life after college. It’s a crazy time after college, figuring life out! I can see now in hindsight how unknown I was despite living so openly and inviting so many into my life through writing. Funny how in a social media world, a world where we are more connected than ever before in history, there is more loneliness and even to the point of depression for so many than ever before. We have to take that seriously, y’all. I want to make it clear, I haven’t suffered from depression myself, I can see how easy it could be to fall into it when you aren’t in community. Social media is wonderful, seriously it’s amazing how I can connect with people from all over the world. But it can also be isolating and the greatest component, in my opinion, for why so many people are discontent and unhappy. Truth is, the more social media and technology take over face to face human interaction, the more I fear our hearts will grow cold, isolated, community-less, and unknown.

If you’re not in a tangible community that loves you and knows you, reminding you of the good simplicities of life or the heart of good that has nothing to do with what you have but rather who, then you are sure to find yourself lonely and unknown. Being part of the church body is how we were wired, it’s a deep rooted need within us because it is how God made us! God didn’t even let the first man he breathed life into live alone, because he saw it was not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18) I wrote a couple weeks ago about this idea of being known in my devotional Sweet Thoughts, and I have felt I needed to share more. I keep hearing in my spirit, “Be known, be loved, make others known and loved.”

One of my favorite friendships in the Bible is that of Timothy and the great Apostle Paul. Paul was like a spiritual father to Timothy, and they did life on the heels of one another, Timothy following the leadership of Paul. Even when it came time for Timothy to step into his own identity of ministry, their friendship remained solid. Accountability, encouragement, and always longing to see each other as any good friends do. Read this intro to a letter to Timothy’s church from Paul:

“I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God’s plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!

Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.” 2 Timothy 1:1-6

The reason I love this scripture is because you can see just how much Paul loves Timothy. Do you have people in your life you could say that whenever you mention their name in a prayer, which is practically all the time…? Are you in community with people you love and care for so deeply that you pray often for them, you share your own struggles with them, and are actually doing life together? If you’re not, I bet there is something in you that longs for it.

Friends, find community. Be part of the body. What I mean by that is that the Bible calls its people “The body of Christ”, meaning the body of the Church. The hands and feet. In multiple ways, the picture is made that we are all units of a larger picture but we have to be part of a body to help it function and move properly. We are our fullest self when we are functioning as part of the body. We flourish and are our best self when others are helping us process and pull out the things we can easily hide under or mask. There is nothing sweeter than being known y’all. And, as if the challenge isn’t hard enough to place yourself in community and find good friends, be eyes to see people that need a place to belong. Make others known.

Love you guys. I know you can change your world around you, and it starts with being known. We can love others and be loved, because he first loved us. Praise God, right?

xoxo, Han

You can snag a pre-order of my Because He First Loved tee from The Cake Shop to rock this mantra yourself. Love others and be loved, because we get to mirror what Jesus already did for us. Here. 

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